one side only

Franchesca - posted on 04/04/2011
(
16 moms have responded
)

34

29

4

How do i get my three week old son to nurse off both side? ever since he was born he has only ever taken the right side, when i try to put him on the left side he starts screaming and just wont latch on... i am starting to get concered with this, any help would be helpful

MOST HELPFUL POSTS

Candace - posted on 04/06/2011

119

17

9

He's still very small. My son much preferred my left breast. I went back to work after seven weeks and had to start pumping. We switched between breast and bottle very easily. That was never a struggle. When we were in the height of breast feeding, around 6-7 months, before we started solids, I could pump 9 oz or so out of my left breast and only 5-6 out of the right because it was so unequal. I was told to wait to pump until 4 weeks but maybe this is an exception and you could bump the unused breast. Keep offering it to him. It may be just positional and he'll get used to it.

I don't have an exact answer to your question, but I wouldn't be concerned about it. Milk production is supply/demand. So if the right side is getting all the demand, it will make all the supply as well. What I'm saying is, he is still getting all the milk he needs.

For what it's worth, my 2nd child has only ever nursed on the left side. I was tandem-nursing her and her brother when she was born, but after he weaned, she just stuck to the left side. Still gets all she needs. Your body just adjusts to it.

i had the exact same problem at that same age its the way you hold him there is always one side more comfertable than the other to hold him while nursing what i did was try the side he doesnt like first each time and switch back and forth it will take awhile but it does work

My son has always favored 1 side over the other but not to that extreme. I would DEFINITELY recommend contacting a lactation specialis, Le Leche League, etc. to set up an appointment. Many lactation specialists are FREE, especially through some hospitals.Perhaps it's b/c laying on his right side to nurse on your left breast is some how uncomfortable for him? You might try lying in bed so that he's laying on his left side (the positon he would normally be in to nurse on your right side) & offer him your left side THAT way. Just a thought.My son 2 1/3 years & still nursing. They go through a LOT of different phases during the nursing process. I hope this is just a 'phase' for him & things get better for you.Good Luck

Hm, my son definitely preferred one side at first, but eventually he got over it. Does that side produce? Try to express some milk out for him and help him latch on. Maybe try different positions? Those are my thoughts, but I haven't had that problem to that extreme. Oh, another thought! Try to feed him just enough to keep him from being starving on the "good" side, then switch to the other before he's full and maybe he'll be more patient.

My son was the same!! I found that changing his position helped alot. He was very uncomfortable on the one side. Try holding him in the football position, head in your hand with body along your side and feet behind you. That helped with my son! Hope this helps you too!

I went through this with both my babies. They both preferred to lay on their left side, so when I'd flip them to nurse from the left breast they would scream. With my daughter, I found the football hold worked best so she would still be laying on her left side. With my son, and this was just a couple weeks ago (he's two months), I've found that I just have to re-position his body. The football hold worked with him as well, but what really works is placing his body out further from mine so that he can't tilt his head back so far. I just keep re-positioning until he'll latch. Good luck!

I had an inverted nipple on my right side... my daughter didn't like it for the first few weeks. I kept switching her anyway, trying to get the best latch I could. Her sucking fixed it up :). may be something you could check for.

Try putting him in a 'football' hold. Where bubs is under your arm (lying on a pillow for support) instead of lying across you as you would normally breastfeed. That way he will still be lying on his preferred side but he will be feeding from your left breast. Definately speak to a lactaction expert. good luck

i have been pumping that side just to releave some of the fullness so im deffenetly producing on that side... Thank you for all of the advise, i go to see my hospitals Lactation specialist on Friday, until then i will be trying anything/everything

Have you contacted a leleche league or nursing specialist? I'm not sure, I would say just don't offer that side he favors, and he'll have to give in? That may not be the best advice though. Do you have a pump? You may have more milk coming in on the side he usually nurses on, so I wonder if you pumped when you fed him on the other side if that would help. Have you tried putting some breastmilk on the other side and trying to get him to latch on that way? Good luck!